


Tribbles on the TARDIS

by Dragonflywhisperer568



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Light-Hearted, Maybe a little OOC, Not to be taken seriously, The Doctor/Rose if you squint, bit of a crack fic, trouble with tribbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:47:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25079362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragonflywhisperer568/pseuds/Dragonflywhisperer568
Summary: Here he was, the Oncoming Strom, the most feared being in the universe! He could defeat armies, stand up against entire Dalek fleets or legions of Cybermen, but he couldn’t say no to one human girl.
Relationships: Ninth Doctor/Rose Tyler, The Doctor (Doctor Who) & Rose Tyler
Comments: 6
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a fun little crack fic I wrote years ago that I found on my computer and decided to post! It is not my best writing, but it's lighthearted and funny and deserves to be shared with the world lol

“No,” the Doctor said bluntly, refusing to look at the blonde in front of him.

“But Doctor!” Rose whined.

“I said no, Rose,” he said with a little more force, but still would not meet her eyes. Instead, he pretended to be busy repairing the device on his lap.

“But it’s so cute!” she argued, holding the fuzzy bundle against her face.

“Yeah Doctor, it’s just so cute!” Jack added, barely containing his mirth at the Doctor’s predicament. He always had a hard time saying no to the girl. The Doctor ignored Jack’s comment.

“Rose, we are NOT taking a tribble on the TARDIS!” he insisted, looking at her for a second, but quickly returning his attention to the small machine. “Didn’t you see the Star Trek episode with the tribbles?”

“Yeah, but that was just a show,” she replied innocently.

Don’t look at her, the Doctor told himself, don’t loo—damn it. He met her gaze and felt his resolve beginning to crumble. “Where do you think ideas for shows like that come from?”

“But Doctor…” she pouted.

He sighed in defeat.

Rose grinned. “So I can keep her?” she asked hopefully (and somewhat smugly).

He looked between his companion and the fuzzy creature in her hands. He then looked pleadingly at Jack, silently begging for some backup.

“Hey, don’t look at me!” Jack said, putting up his hands. “Your human, your problem.”

The Doctor groaned, putting his devise and sonic screwdriver aside. He stood up, walked over to his companion, and grabbed her shoulders. “Rose...” he started, but wasn’t able to finish.

She gripped the creature to her chest and batted her eyes. “Please?” she whispered.

The Time Lord sighed. Here he was, the Oncoming Strom, the most feared being in the universe! He could defeat armies, stand up against entire Dalek fleets or legions of Cybermen, but he couldn’t say no to one human girl.

“Fine,” he lowered his head in defeat, “you can keep the tribble.”

Rose squealed and threw her free arm around the Doctor’s neck. “Thank you! I’ll take good care of it,” she promised and happily skipped into the TARDIS.

Jack walked forward and mimed cracking a whip, earning an icy glare from the Doctor. Jack winked then followed the girl into the bigger-on-the-inside police box. Sighing again, the Doctor picked up his screwdriver and machine.

_I’m going to regret this_ , he thought and followed his companions.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor ran as fast as he could to the kitchen at the sound of Rose crying his name.

“Rose!? Rose, what’s wrong!?” he called, fully alert for any danger. But instead of seeing some threatening alien trying to kidnap his beloved companion, he saw her grinning wildly and looking at something on the table. He followed her gaze in confusion.

“Princess Fluffy had babies!” Rose squealed.

Sure enough, sitting on the table in front of her was not only her brown tribble, but also three smaller ones—one dapple grey and the others sorrel like their mother.

“Aren’t they the cutest?” she asked, picking up the grey one and cuddling it. The Doctor was rescued from needing to respond by Jack running into the room.

“Rosie!? What’s going on?” he asked, obviously having the same thought the Doctor had: some evil alien had made it aboard the TARDIS and was attacking his friend. He stopped when he saw the fuzzy bundle in Rose’s hands. “Aw, isn’t he cute,” he said, reaching to pet the furry, cooing ball. “Mind if I take him off your hands? I’ve always thought about getting a pet.”

“Of course!” Rose handed it to him.

Jack smiled widely and held the creature up to his face. “Hey, name’s Captain Jack Harkness,” he greeted his tribble.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, “really Jack? A tribble?”

“Don’t be jealous Doc. I’ve got lots of love for you too,” the man said with a wink.

The Doctor just scowled and walked out of the kitchen, back to his ‘work’ on the console. “Do not let those things out of your sight,” he ordered over his shoulder.

* * *

Over the next few days, anytime the Doctor saw his companions they were fussing over their new pets. He couldn’t have cared less about Jack, but his Rose was spending less and less time with him as her tribbles became more and more numerous. She began to refuse to go on adventures for fear that Princess Fluffy and its offspring would get hurt. When the Doctor suggested she leave them behind, the TARDIS made a warning noise that he took as “don’t you dare.” As a compromise, he suggested they get a dog crate and leave them in that while they travel. Rose wasn’t pleased by this idea and stormed out of the room while murmuring something to her tribble about keeping it safe from the “sour old Time Lord.”

The Doctor cried indignantly—he was actually quite young for a Time Lord!

To make matters worse, the stupid fuzz-balls just kept multiplying. Jack now had thirteen and Rose had over twenty, and despite the Doctor’s warnings they were not being watched as carefully as they should be. He stopped counting how many times he had pulled them away from the TARDIS controls or found them nibbling at wires under the console. When he tried to fix the damage they caused, his irritable ship would shock him or shower him with sparks like it was his fault!

The Doctor stomped broodingly into the console room after yet another heated conversation with his female companion about her new pets. Jack was sitting on the jump seat, making one-sided conversation with his little grey pom-pom. It was cuddled into the hair on top of the man’s hair, making soft purring noises. Jack swung his feet off the console when he noticed the Time Lord’s presence.

“Hey Doc!” he greeted cheerfully before noticing his irked expression. “You and Rose have another go at it?” he asked with a sympathetic look. Things were never good for anyone when the Doctor and Rose were fighting.

The Doctor grunted in reply and shoved a tribble off the console. It cooed in protest and Jack was at its side in an instant, scooping it up. The Doctor glared at his companion.   
“Keep it off the controls,” he growled and flipped a few switches. As much as he loved his stolen time machine, he was going to go insane if he didn’t get out soon. The TARDIS shuddered as it landed. The Time Lord stalked toward the doors.

“Where are you going?” Jack asked.

“Out,” was the Doctor’s curt reply. He slammed the door as he left.

For a moment, Jack considered following. The Doctor was in quite the mood and had an unmatchable talent for attracting trouble—two factors that could end in a very dangerous concoction... Just as he was about to take a step toward the door, the tribble he was holding let out a small chirp and trembled slightly. The man immediately shrugged off his feelings of worry and returned to his previous spot, petting the creature in his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

The Doctor yawned and opened his eyes. It wasn’t often that he slept, but these tribbles were exhausting him. He threw his blanket aside (tossing a dozen tribbles off the bed in the process) and swung his legs over the side of the bed only to find the ground was also covered in furry bodies. He grumbled, but still not wanting to hurt the little creatures, he gently pushed them aside to make room for his feet. He grabbed his leather jacket from its place on his bed post and slipped it on as he made his way to the door, carefully clearing a path in the knee-deep tribble sea. He didn’t even care to wonder how the darn fuzz balls made it into his room. The TARDIS was so cross with her Time Lord and his strays that she probably let them in as revenge.

The Doctor entered the corridor that was also flooded by the sea of fur, he sighed... Daleks? Easy. Cybermen? No problem. But Rose and her army of fuzz balls were definitely a force to be reckoned with. He made his way to the console and stroked its cold metal regretfully.

“Doctor!!” a muffled scream filled the TARDIS. “Doctor! Help!”

He was immediately flying down the corridor toward Rose’s cries, cursing the small creatures that got under his feet and made running to his companion’s aid painfully slower.

“Rose!” the Doctor called as he reached her room.

“Doctor!” Rose cried with relief.

The Time Lord tugged at the door, only to find it locked. He reached into his pocket to pull out his sonic screwdriver, but instead felt something warm and soft. He pulled the tribble out of his pocket, his screwdriver in its mouth. More than annoyed, he plucked it away from the tiny creature.

“Hold on Rose!” he called through the door and aimed the sonic at the lock. The devise sputtered and sparked, burning out completely. The Doctor let out a cry of frustration and angrily threw his sonic device. “Rose! I need you need to unlock the door!”

“I can’t get to the door,” was her muffled reply. Panic was evident in her voice. “Doctor, I can’t breath!”

“I’ll get to you Rose, just stay calm,” the Doctor reassured both the girl and himself. He cleared a space around his feet and rammed his shoulder into the door, ignoring the pain caused from the impact. The wood cracked slightly. He struck it again—it gave a little more. The Time Lord drew back and gave the barrier between him and his beloved companion a forceful kick. It shattered inward.

As soon as the door opened, hundreds of tribbles poured out, all purring loudly. The Doctor grunted as he shoved the pile off of himself only to see more tribbles come tumbling out of Rose’s bedroom. He clenched his jaw in frustration. Even if he could get through the packed sea of fur, what was he going to do with them? They couldn’t just stay in the corridor!

The TARDIS hummed and a door appeared behind the Time Lord. He opened it to find a huge, open room.

“Thank you!” the Doctor cried to his ship and kissed the closest wall.

“Doctor?” Rose called.

“The TARDIS finally decided to cooperate. She made a room to put all the tribbles in!” he laughed and began shoving the balls of fur in. However, little effort was needed from the Time Lord after the creatures realized there was open space available. They began flooding the room, purring and chirping excitedly. Finally, Rose was able to break through the wall of fur and ran into the Doctor’s arms.

“Are you okay?” he asked, holding her back at an arm’s length and taking in her ruffled appearance.

The girl nodded, “I was just a bit shocked to wake up drowning in a sea of furry bodies.”

The Doctor chuckled and pulled her in for another hug.

“Rose,” the Doctor said into his human’s hair, “I know you love Princess Fluffy and her offspring, but I think it’s time we find a new home for them. I can find a safe planet for them without many predators.”

Rose sighed and nodded into the Doctor’s chest. He held in a sigh of relief as he tightened his grip around the girl and planted a soft kiss on top of her head.


	4. Chapter 4

After her occupants promised to get rid of all the tribbles, the TARDIS became quite helpful. She showed where to find each creature and created a room to confine them in. When every last one had been rounded up, she helped the Doctor find the perfect planet to house them: it was currently uninhabited by any species except plants that grew at an astonishing rate, making it the perfect place for the ever-hungry fuzz balls. After saying goodbye to Princess Fluffy and her countless descendants, the trio returned to the space-time machine.

Hours later, the Doctor and Jack had repaired most the damage the tribbles had created. The Time Lord looked please at their work before realizing his twenty-first century human was nowhere to be seen.

“You seen Rose?” He asked the other man.

Jack shook his head, “Not since we left Terra Veloces.”

“The Doctor hummed thoughtfully, “I’ll go find her.”

With everything back in place, he was getting restless and wanted nothing more than to go on an adventure, maybe save a planet; one has to keep their ego up somehow.  
“You do that. I’m going to shower without little fuzz creatures invading places even I don’t want them,” the man said with a wink and jogged off toward his room.  
The Time Lord rolled his eyes and began wandering the corridors looking for the girl. His first thought was to check her bedroom, but her door which was usually right next to his was nowhere to be found. He let out a heavy sigh. Not wanting to fight with the ship, he checked the library and garden rooms...still no Rose.

“I know you're hiding her!” he called irritably to the ship, who hummed in reply. “Show me where she is,” he demanded.

The TARDIS hummed again.

“I am your captain!” he cried.

The ship whirred angrily.

“Please?”

The ship stayed silent for a long moment before a door appeared beside the Doctor. It was Rose’s bedroom.

“Thank you,” the Time Lord said crossly and opened the door. Rose was sitting on her bed with her back to the entrance. She visibly cringed when he walked in.

“Rose?” He asked cautiously as he approached her bed. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” she said a little too quickly.

“You sure about that?” he asked gently.

The girl was silent for a couple minutes, before letting out a shuddering breath. “Actually Doctor,” she started hesitantly, “that tribble was the first pet I ever had; apart from the strays mum would let in off the estate. I-I guess that’s quite right too. I’m a rubbish pet owner...”

“No,” he said softly, grabbing both her hands.

Rose looked at the Doctor doubtfully.

“Tribbles are just terrible pets. They’re worse than your mice back on Earth,” The Doctor said seriously.

Rose smiled slightly and let out a small giggle that warmed the Time Lord’s heart. He wanted to prove to the girl that she was a brilliant pet owner.

“You know, there’s this planet,” he said, “the entire thing is a pet shop, the biggest pet shop in the universe in fact! They sell creatures from thousands of different galaxies.” Rose’s eyes brightened as the Doctor jumped off her bed. “I’ll bet we could find you a better pet there.”

“You’d really let me try again?” the girl asked hopefully.

The Doctor beamed down at her. She looked so innocent—not unlike a small child. She was so brave and wise and compassionate all the time, sometimes he forgot she was still only nineteen; a mere baby next to the lifespan of a Time Lord. _She really is brilliant_ , he thought proudly.

“Doctor?” Rose’s voice broke him from his thoughts. He mentally shook his head when he realized he had been staring at her without responding to her question.

“Of course you can try again! I may be old and daft, but I’ll always be willing to give a second chance,” he said, pulling the girl to her feet.

“Thank you!” Rose embraced the Time Lord before running out of the room.

“Where are you going?” he called after her.

“To find Jack!” she called back and appeared once again in the door way, wearing her tongue on teeth smile. “We’re going pet shopping!” She cried and disappeared again.

* * *

When they arrived on the planet, they were greeted kindly by one of the many caretakers and brought into on of the consulting rooms.

“We want something cute,” Jack told the blue skinned humanoid.

“And fuzzy!” Rose chimed in.

“But hardy enough to withstand constant traveling,” the Doctor said with his usual seriousness.

The man looked between the three companions, curiosity and confusion written across his face. He wondered what type of life they could possibly lead. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “I have just the pet for you!” he exclaimed.

He disappeared into the back room and emerged a few minutes later with a crate in his hands. “It is among the most affectionate companions the universe has to offer.”

The Doctor scoffed and risked a glance at Rose before returning his attention to the man who was continuing his sales pitch on the mystery creature.

“In fact!” he was saying flamboyantly, “they are nearly impossible to be rid of!”

“Great!” Jack said enthusiastically. “What is it?”

“It’s called...” the man paused dramatically as he opened the crate and tilted it so the customers could see inside, “a tribble!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this silly little fic!  
> Like I said, it wasn't the best writing, but I really enjoyed writing it! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed reading it!


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